Creative Enterprise Zones (3)

Tony Devenish: How will the impact of these Creative Enterprise Zones be evaluated? Please can you make public any documents relating to evaluation such as an evaluation framework?

The Mayor: My inaugural six Creative Enterprise Zones are a UK first. Following the announcement of the winning boroughs, my culture team is working with the successful local authorities to develop a detailed evaluation framework to assess the impact of the programme and we will publish this once complete.
Creative Enterprise Zones are also benefiting from £4M European Social Funding to develop local skills, and from Good Growth Funding. Guidance on evaluation frameworks for European Social Fund skills programmes is published here: https://ec.europa.eu/sfc/en/system/files/ged/ESF%20monitoring%20and%20evaluation%20guidance.pdf. The Good Growth Fund Evaluation and Impact handbook, is published here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/regeneration/funding-opportunities/good-growth-fund-supporting-regeneration-london#acc-i-53083.

Arts/Design and Technology in Schools

Tom Copley: Given the recent lower take up of Art and Design & Technology in the curriculum in recent years, what steps could you take, possibly through the London Curriculum programme or other initiatives to provide young Londoners with the skills and tools they need to succeed in careers in the creative industries?

The Mayor: The Government’s failure to ensure that the arts are at the heart of every child’s education risks damaging the talent pipeline for London’s creative industries, which provide 1 in 6 jobs in the capital.
My London Curriculum provides resources covering music, art and design, dance and STEM. My New World of Work Trails introduce young children to a wide range of creative job opportunities www.london.gov.uk/world-of-work. We want all schools to use the resources and we’re working closely with cultural partners to achieve this.
My £71m European Social Fund 2019-23 programme will support disadvantaged young Londoners to gain the skills needed to progress into creative careers including through my Creative Enterprise Zone programme delivered in six boroughs. It will also support schools and colleges to provide high-quality careers guidance.
I will also equip young Londoners with creative skills through actions in my Careers for Londoners plan, my Digital Talent Programme, London Enterprise Adviser Network and new apprenticeship pilots. I am patron of the London Music Fund, which in the past 5 years has supported almost 9,000 aspiring young musicians

Access to toilets (2)

Fiona Twycross: The same study found that many theatres only have one disabled toilet or none at all which is a problem for Londoners with disabilities that wish to visit the theatre. How can theatres in London be made more accessible?

The Mayor: Many of London’s theatres are accessible and have accessible toilets, as well as offering assisted performances for example with captions and sign-language. The‎ Society of London Theatres has a free access guide, covering more than 60 London theatres https://officiallondontheatre.com/access/access-london-theatre/venue-access-page/.
However, there are still some theatres that do not have adequate disability toilet facilities.The Theatres Trust is supporting theatres to provide at least one wheelchair accessible toilet near the main entrance and one with the main toilets through its Theatre Improvement Scheme. In2018, all funds were allocated to capital projects to address accessibility including works atthe Queen’s Theatre, Noel Coward Theatre, Criterion Theatre and Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in addition to a £50m renovation of Victoria Palace Theatre.
Arts Council England has produced an online equality action guide providing guidance for theatres on how to be accessible.

Autism (5)

Andrew Boff: What steps are you taking to ensure that London’s public places and public services are autism friendly?

The Mayor: Inclusive design is promoted in my draft London Plan and my Transport and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategies. It is fundamental to creating public spaces that everyone can use confidently and independently, including those with autism. My officers will be involving members of my new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group in guiding and promoting my commitments to equality in London, to ensure that engagement with Disabled Londoners, including those with autism, is at the heart of this work.
Good customer service is also vital. For example, TfL continues to work with Valuing People, a forum for people with learning disabilities and autism, to make transport services more inclusive across a range of issues.

Autism (2)

Andrew Boff: What is the current estimated economic impact in London of people with autism being out of work or not receiving the support they need?

The Mayor: The LSE study in June 2014 reported the cost of autism to the UK economy as £32.1bn per year. The figure is not broken down into regions so a London figure from this study is not available. These costs include treatment, lost earnings, care and support for children and adults with autism.
For more information see http://www.lse.ac.uk/website-archive/newsAndMedia/newsArchives/2014/06/Autism.aspx

Autism (3)

Andrew Boff: What support are the following bodies providing to Londoners diagnosed with autism; a) the GLA, b) the Metropolitan Police, c) Transport for London, and d) the London Fire Brigade?

The Mayor: Support is provided for neuro-diverse and autistic Londoners as follows:
a) The GLA’s transport and planning policies promote the use of inclusive design to create more inclusive and safe spaces. The Young Londoner’s Fund is supporting projects for young people with autism.
b) MPS has developed an autism card and passport given that autism is one of the hardest disabilities for officers to recognise and deal with due to its complex nature and presentation. Producing the card invites the officer to review their bespoke passport detailing causes of individual distress/discomfort and what can be done to assist them.
c) TfL delivers Disability Equality Training to Underground staff which includes invisible disabilities such as autism. TfL runs Steps into Work, a skills and work experience and skills programme, for people with learning disabilities and autism.
d) Firefighters are trained in mental health awareness including autism and, where appropriate, can fit alternative smoke alarms to avoid ‘sensory overload’ caused by standard alarmsounders

Autism (1)

Andrew Boff: What is the current autism employment gap in London and what was the gap over the past five years, broken down by year.

The Mayor: Time series data on employment gaps have been published on the London Datastore as part of my measures of economic fairness. For more information, see https://data.london.gov.uk/economic-fairness/labour-market/employment-gaps/
Although the London employment gap data can be broken down into characteristics including disability, it is not possible to identify neuro-diversity including autism spectrum disorders within this data.
A National Autistic Society report published in 2016 cites a figure of just 16% of autistic adults in full-time paid work and 34% of autistic adults in some kind of paid work. For more information, see https://www.autism.org.uk/~/media/nas/get-involved/tmi/tmi%20employment%20report%2024pp%20web.ashx?la=en-gb

British Sign Language Charter

Navin Shah: In response to my question (September last year) you stated that the Greater London Authority was shortly due to complete the sign-up process for the British Sign Language Charter with the view of implementation last autumn. May I please have an update?

The Mayor: Thank you for your continued interest in the British Sign Language Charter.
My officers will be involving members of my new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group in guiding and promoting my commitments to equality in London, to ensure that engagement with Deaf and Disabled Londoners is at the heart of this work. The Advisory Group holds its first meeting in February and the BSL Charter will be implemented shortly after this.
GLA officers will build on the relationship established with the British Deaf Association and members of the London’s Deaf community whilst working towards charter implementation this Spring.

Quality of Tender Awards (1)

Nicky Gavron: Can you confirm the GLA Group operates a 30%-price-to-70%-quality weighting for any contracts it is putting out to tender?

The Mayor: The GLA uses a range of Quality:Price ratios determined on a case by case basis depending on the specific requirements of the tender in question.

Valuing and Welcoming all Londoners

Jennette Arnold: Do you agree with me that government immigration policies since 2010 leave Britain open to accusations of xenophobia and discrimination against the working classes? How do we in London combat this so that people feel they are welcome and valued regardless of background and social status?

The Mayor: This Government’s hostile environment policiesdisproportionately impact BAME Londoners. There is increasing evidence to demonstrate that these policies disproportionately affect low income Londoners, too.I have called on the Government to scrap the discriminatory Hostile Environment, scrap the profit element that makes access to residency and citizenship rights prohibitively expensive for low income families, and to waive the settled status fees for EU Londoners.
To make sure EU citizens and their families have all the information they need about living in London after Brexit I have created a hub of resources on London.gov, and funded direct community outreach to the most vulnerable EU Londoners.
My Strategy for Social Integration, All of Us,aimsto create a more welcoming, connected and representative city, where all Londonersfeel they have a stake.My London is Open campaign continues to share the message that London will always be open to the world, proud of our diversity and inclusive to everyone.

Boys on Track Report

Jennette Arnold: How will you be taking forward the findings from your recent report, Boys on Track?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare, Joanne McCartney AM, chaired an event in London’s Living Room on 10 December 2018 focused on the findings of the report Boys on Track: Improving support for Black Caribbean and Free School Meals Eligible White Boys in London.
We are sharing the report’s recommendations with other stakeholders, the findings were discussed at the Mayor’s Black Majority Churches Breakfast Meeting on 14 December, with the Alliance for Childhood London Forum on 10 January and through networks such as the Association of London Directors of Children’s Services and the Teaching Schools. We are mapping the report’s findings against Mayoral programmes to maximise the impact of current activity and identify any gaps. The report has been published on www.london.gov.uk.

Quality of Tender Awards (2)

Nicky Gavron: In your tender contracts, what process do you use to determine quality? What weighting do you give to design?

The Mayor: The contract award processes seek to identify the most economically advantageous tender which mostly relies on price, commercial and technical criteria to differentiate between the tenders received.
The criteria and the weighting ratios are focussed on business or project aims, critical success factors and specification. Quality could be made up of any non-Price element of the criteria used, dependent on the requirements of the specific tender. So if design is part of a requirement it could be an evaluation criterion and its weighting will be determined by its relative importance to the other criteria. This is decided by the team managing that tender.

Met Police in Northern Ireland

Andrew Dismore: Reports suggest that 1000 police officers are being trained to go to Northern Ireland in the event of disorder post Brexit. How many of these officers and in what ranks are from the Met?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) annually sends approximately 100 officers to a one-day public order course in Northern Ireland. This is in preparation for any mutual aid requirements and is part of the MPS contribution to any national mobilisation.
This year the MPS anticipate sending around 150 officers (126 constables, 18 sergeants and 6 inspectors). The increase in numbers to be trained is a precaution in case of possible Brexit related protest.
At this time there is no requirement for any deployment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Targeting the Causes and Effects of Childhood Poverty

Jennette Arnold: According to the Children’s Society, those growing up in childhood poverty are more likely to underachieve at school, have employment difficulties in adult life, experience social deprivation, feel unsafe and experience stigma and bullying at school1. With all three boroughs within my constituency appearing in the list of the 25 boroughs with highest levels of child poverty in the UK2 I want to know what measures, short and long term, you have in place to tackle both poverty and its effects.

1https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/ending-child-poverty/what-are-the-effects-of-child-poverty
2http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/poverty-in-your-area-2018/

The Mayor: There is no excuse for child poverty in a city as prosperous as London.
I am working with schools to understand how they can help tackle child poverty through core and extra-curricular activities.
My Affordable Homes and Energy for Londoners fuel poverty programmes, and the TfL fare-freeze, are reducing costs for families.
I’ve set up Early Years Hubs to help disadvantaged families access childcare. I’ve also allocated £6.5 million of ESF 2019-2023 funding to support unemployed and low-paid parents to find, or progress in, work. My Good Work Standard will encourage employers to help their employees meet the cost of living by paying the London Living Wage.

Low Income Londoners Still Welcome

Jennette Arnold: The recent government white paper on immigration suggests that people working in jobs that earn less than £30,000 a year, such as nurses, carers etc, are no longer welcome in the UK. What are you doing to ensure that low income Londoners know they are still valued and an important part of the community and economy in London?

The Mayor: The Immigration White Paper was a missed opportunity to create a fairer immigration system that learnt the lessons from the Windrush scandal. I have called on the Home Secretary not to introduce the proposed £300,000 cap, and to waive the settled status fee for EU nationals and their families who were resident before the referendum.
I am supporting low-income Londoners through the TfL fares freeze and programmes like Warmer Homes. I have lobbied the government to fix to the broken welfare system, and through my Good Work Standard, I encourage London's employers to help meet their employees’ cost of living by paying the LondonLivingWage.

Integrating and Reconnecting Communities

Jennette Arnold: To what extent do you think that the government’s recent white paper exposes the disconnect within society between the haves and the have-nots, with the government suggesting £30,000 is a reasonable salary for workers to earn? What is being done in London to reconnect and integrate communities?

The Mayor: The Government’s proposal to restrict future immigration of those who earn less than £30,000 fails to recognise the value of crucial jobs in health, social care, construction and other sectors that keep our city functioning. I have written to the Home Secretary highlighting that the proposals in the Immigration White Paper won’t allow London to continue to grow its economy and provide crucial public services.
It is vital that we all work together to create a more socially integrated city. My strategy for social integration, All of Us, addresses the barriers to social integration, includingthe inequalities that divide people. For example, my Workforce Integration Network will supportunderrepresentedgroups into employment, and my Citizenship and Integration Initiative is supporting young Londoners to access their rights to residency and citizenship. I have lobbied the government to fix the broken welfare system. Through the Good Work Standard, I will be encouraging London's employers to help their employees meet the cost of living by paying LondonLivingWage.

Sanction detection rates

Susan Hall: What steps are you taking to tackle low sanction detection rates in outer London?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime scrutinised the Met’s arrest and sanction detection performance at the MPS - MOPAC Oversight Board on 29 November 2018.
The Met is committed to doing all it can to bring offenders to justice in the whole of London. With the implementation of MI investigation all frontline Police Officers are being developed to be effective crime investigators, being upskilled by Detectives whilst allowing C.I.D officers to focus on serious/ complex crimes.
There is a focus to maximise forensic opportunities from point of first contact through the entire investigation. New processes in place allow online reports to be accessed by Crime Scene Examiners as early as 20 mins after creation. The redesign of intelligence units will redistribute the staff locally to provide effective support to frontline policing and analysts who can be tasked according to bespoke priorities. These actions go hand in hand with Operation Venice Teams (Motorcycle/ moped enabled crime) and the Violent Crime Taskforce who are embedded on BCU’s identifying linked series and conducting prolonged complex investigations.

Domestic Abuse Offences

Unmesh Desai: How many domestic abuse offences were recorded in the following years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018?

The Mayor: The requested data can be found here: Domestic and Sexual violence dashboard - this has been developed to support the delivery and oversight of the Mayor's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. The dashboard monitors the level of recorded offences throughout the Metropolitan Police Service Boroughs. The dashboard also monitors data on victimisation, perpetrators/offenders identified and the overall perception of how well the MPS responds to violence against women and girls.

Domestic Abuse Offences Gender Breakdown of Victims

Unmesh Desai: Please provide a breakdown of the recorded gender of victims of domestic abuse offences in 2018.

The Mayor: The requested data can be found here: Domestic and Sexual violence dashboard - this has been developed to support the delivery and oversight of the Mayor's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. The dashboard monitors the level of recorded offences throughout the Metropolitan Police Service Boroughs. The dashboard also monitors data on victimisation, perpetrators/offenders identified and the overall perception of how well the MPS responds to violence against women and girls.

Domestic Abuse Offences Ethnicity Breakdown of Victims

Unmesh Desai: Please provide a breakdown of the ethnicity of victims of domestic abuse offences in 2018.

The Mayor: The requested data can be found here: Domestic and Sexual violence dashboard - this has been developed to support the delivery and oversight of the Mayor's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. The dashboard monitors the level of recorded offences throughout the Metropolitan Police Service Boroughs. The dashboard also monitors data on victimisation, perpetrators/offenders identified and the overall perception of how well the MPS responds to violence against women and girls.

Domestic Abuse Incidents

Unmesh Desai: How many incidents of domestic abuse were recorded in the following years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018?

The Mayor: The requested data can be found here: Domestic and Sexual violence dashboard - this has been developed to support the delivery and oversight of the Mayor's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. The dashboard monitors the level of recorded offences throughout the Metropolitan Police Service Boroughs. The dashboard also monitors data on victimisation, perpetrators/offenders identified and the overall perception of how well the MPS responds to violence against women and girls.

Intersectionality in the Metropolitan Police

David Kurten: How many staff working in the Metropolitan Police are white men, black men, Asian men, men of other ethnic minorities, white women, black women, Asian women and women of other ethnic minorities?

The Mayor: The table below shows a breakdown of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) workforce (police officers, police staff, police community support officers and special constables) by ethnicity and gender.
Female
Male
Total
White
10,654
22,156
32,810
Black
978
1,259
2,237
Asian
929
2,238
3,166
Other
1,254
2,165
3,419
Total
13,815
27,818
41,633
Note, workforce data is typically presented as Full Time Equivalents (FTE) and figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Responsible Procurement Policy publication date

Caroline Russell: In your response to my letter responding to your draft Culture Strategy you said: “I have set out in my strengthened Responsible Procurement Policy how I expect the GLA family and its suppliers to achieve high standards in fair pay and employment practices.” When will you publish the details of the strengthened Responsible Procurement Policy?

The Mayor: The revised and strengthened Responsible Procurement Policy was published in July 2017, and can be found here: www.london.gov.uk/rp-policy

Intersectional Pay Gaps in the Metropolitan Police

David Kurten: What is the average pay in the Metropolitan Police of white men, black men, Asian men, men of other ethnic minorities, white women, black women, Asian women and women of other ethnic minorities?

The Mayor: This information is available in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) published reports on its gender and ethnicity pay gaps.
MPS gender pay gap analysis 2018
MPS ethnicity pay gap analysis 2018

Autism (7)

Andrew Boff: What compulsory training do police officers and fire fighters currently receive on autism?

The Mayor: Information on autism is provided within six days of Safeguarding and Vulnerability training to new police recruits.
This is reinforced through an additional seven days of interactive vulnerability training for officers during their probation.
In addition, all police officers are expected to use the Vulnerability Assessment Framework (VAF) to help them identify vulnerable individuals and to provide the appropriate safeguarding response.

Museum of London (1)

Tony Devenish: When will a planning application for the Museum of London’s new home at West Smithfield be submitted, given it was planned to be submitted in 2018? What has caused the delay and what financial implications will this delay have?

The Mayor: The planning application is expected to be submitted to the City of London Corporation in Autumn 2019. The initial timeline was produced before the complexity of the heritage site and its condition was fully understood and the new timetable reflects this. The GLA’s commitment of £70M to the new Museum is capped and remains the same.

Museum of London (2)

Tony Devenish: Can you set out the current timeline for the Museum of London’s plans for relocation?

The Mayor: The Museum has successfully completed RIBA stage 2 and stage 3 designs are currently being developed. The next project milestone is submitting the planning application which is planned for Autumn 2019, before which the Museum will consult widely on proposals. The Museum expects to be in its new home in the next five to six years.
The New Museum will be a jewel in London’s crown, aiming to double its visitor numbers and reach every London school. It will be a major tourist attraction and will deliver significant economic and social benefits, helping to secure London’s position as a creative capital.

Nationals of other EU countries [5]

Andrew Dismore: How many a) officers and b) members of staff in the Metropolitan Police are nationals of other EU countries; what estimate have you made of the likely number who will return home in the event of a hard Brexit; and what are you doing to provide assistance and reassurance to them?

The Mayor: There are approximately 800 officers and 230 staff who are nationals of other EU countries.
The decision for each officer and staff affected by Brexit to remain in the UK will be personal and unique and is very hard to quantify or predict. This is just one of the many challenges that Brexit will bring to policing.
I have already called on the Government to scrap the ‘settled status’ application fee for EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit. I have also committed that City Hall and the GLA Group, including the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), will pay the fees for their EU employees if the Government doesn’t act.
Furthermore, I have launched an online ‘EU Londoners Hub’ to help London’s European citizens access the information they need to stay in the UK after Brexit.
I will continue to do what I can to support EU nationals in policing and across London.

Creative Enterprise Zones (1)

Tony Devenish: The Mayor announced 6 Creative Enterprise Zones in December 2018, instead of 3 as was planned originally. The 6 CEZs will be awarded a share of more than £11m. What was the reason for this significant change to the programme?

The Mayor: My new Creative Enterprise Zones are a key manifesto commitment and aim to enable artists and creative businesses to put down roots, whilst offering skills development opportunities and creating jobs for local communities.
I increased my commitment to six Creative Enterprise Zones in response to the high level of interest and ambitious plans put forward by local authorities. I received expressions of interest from 25 boroughs and awarded £500,000 to 11 boroughs to develop plans, which resulted in 6 outstanding applications from Croydon, Haringey, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham and Hackney Wick (a joint bid by Tower Hamlets, Hackney and the London Legacy Development Corporation).

Creative Enterprise Zones (2)

Tony Devenish: Much of the funding for the Creative Enterprise Zones appears to come from the Good Growth Fund and from the Skills budget. How will spending on the CEZs support the development of Londoners skills?

The Mayor: My inaugural six Creative Enterprise Zones, the first in the UK, will offer opportunities for Londoners to develop the skills needed to access jobs.
Jobs in the Creative Industries have increased three times faster than the UK average. The Creative Enterprise Zones will harness this growth to offer skills and training opportunities for local people. For example, the Brixton Creative Enterprise Zone will support young people by helping with education pathways that lead to jobs. In Croydon, a new internship programme will offer young people paid work placements with leading national and local arts organisations. In Tottenham, investment in skills and training will support local people to transfer skills into the creative sector: from carpenter to scenery maker, for example. The Zones will also include partnerships with local Further and Higher Education providers: for example, Lewisham will offer employment and enterprise support to retain creative talent from Goldsmiths and Trinity Laban.

Annual London Education Report 2019

Jennette Arnold: Will you be publishing an Annual London Education report in 2019?

The Mayor: Yes, the Annual London Education Report will be updated. We are planning to complete its production in the summer term.

Successful Applicants for Early Years Campaign

Jennette Arnold: When will you be announcing the successful applicants for your Early Years Campaign funding?

The Mayor: Our deadline for small grant applications to deliver activity to raise awareness and to increase the number of families taking up the Government’s free early years entitlements was 30 November 2018. We received 21 applications. We will announce successful applicants later this month, once our due diligence process is complete.
The London Early Years Campaign is planned to run from February to October 2019. As well as awarding these small grants we will run a London-wide social media and marketing campaign to increase awareness of the free early years entitlements.

London Employers and the Childcare Deposit Loan Scheme

Jennette Arnold: What progress have you made with other London employers to encourage them to launch their own childcare deposit loan scheme?

The Mayor: Four London local authorities, Brent, Greenwich, Southwark and Waltham Forest, have already set up their own childcare deposit loan schemes. Two other boroughs are considering starting the scheme.
We will be publishing guidance in early 2019 to help London employers launch their own childcare deposit loan schemes. This guidance will be branded as part of my Good Work Standard.
As part of the Teach London project to support the London school system on teacher recruitment and retention we will be encouraging schools to pilot this scheme as part of their overall employee health and well-being offer.

Childcare Deposit Loan Scheme

Jennette Arnold: How many families have benefited from your Childcare Deposit Loan scheme, and what is the average amount they have received?

The Mayor: In January 2017, following a proposal from the single parent charity Gingerbread I launched an interest-free loan scheme to give all parents in the GLA group the funds they need to cover the up-front costs of childcare provision.
By December 2018, 36 employees across the GLA family had benefitted from the scheme.
The average amount applied for varies depending on family circumstances. The average upfront cost of childcare for parents returning to work is in the region of £1,500.

Access to toilets (1)

Fiona Twycross: A recent study of West End theatres found that there is an average of just one toilet for every 38 female audience members meaning that for all women to use the toilet, they would need a 57-minute interval instead of the average 20 minutes. This will be of particular concern to women who are pregnant or have hidden disabilities. Given that the theatre is an important part of London’s culture, how can you help institutions in London to have adequate and equal facilities?

The Mayor: I agree this is an important issue. In response to this study, West End theatres have outlined plans to improve toilet provision. For example, Cameron Mackintosh will improve seven of his theatres, including the Queen’s, which will have up to 31 new toilets installed. The Prince Edward Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre, Novello, Noel Coward Theatre and Wyndham’s will all have increased provision. The Shaftesbury Theatre is undergoing a renovation, which will see women’s toilets increase by nearly a third, from 23 to 31. Theatre Royal Drury Lane is undergoing a redevelopment, which will see its women’s toilets increase from 35 to 54.
The Theatres Trust provides funding for improvements and urgent repairs to theatres. I have supported the Trust to highlight these opportunities, including through a premises-ready workshop at City Hall. My Cultural Infrastructure Plan will provide a design toolkit for theatres, which will help to ensure new developments are built with the appropriate level of provision.

Early Years Hub Effectiveness

Jennette Arnold: Your Early Years Hubs have now been open for about one year1. How effective have they been, and what lessons will you take forwards for your early years programmes?

1https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-launches-early-years-hubs

The Mayor: My three Early Years Hubs bring together early years providers to improve access to quality early education for London’s most disadvantaged children. They were launched in January 2018 and are funded for three years so it’s still relatively early days in terms of assessing their impact.
Already, they have supported over 70 early years providers in Barnet, Newham, Wandsworth and Merton. One example of their achievements is the roll out of new accredited special educational needs and disability (SEND) training developed by the Wandle Early Years Hub. This gives early years staff the skills and confidence to early identify children with SEND and helps provide them with the support they need.
Our online toolkit will allow early years settings and other stakeholders to access learning, resources and best practice from the hubs.

Nationals of other EU countries [8]

Andrew Dismore: What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on the London Fire Brigade’s ability to recruit a) operational firefighters and b) members of staff in who are nationals of other EU countries?

The Mayor: The full details of changes to immigration rules in relation to a range of Brexit scenarios are not yet known but the London Fire Brigade will continue to monitor this. No formal estimates of the impact on recruitment has been made as this is not possible to undertake accurately at this stage. LFB appoints a relatively low number of recruits who are from other EU countries, and so does not believe there to be a material risk to recruitment or the establishment overall. LFB will continue to provide support and advice to existing staff who are nationals of other EU countries to ensure they have as much information as possible.